CONTENT

AMAA entries hit 328 across Africa

As preparation for the 2012 edition of African Movie Academy Awards reaches a climax, the award organisation has received 328 entries from filmmakers across Africa.

Giving the details of the entries, Chairman of AMAA’s College of Screeners, Shuaib Hussein said his team of screeners are currently in camp to work on the entries ahead of nominations that will be announced in Banjul, capital of Gambia at a ceremony that will be attended by celebrities, top government officials and captains of industries from Gambia and other African countries on March 17th, 2012.

Hussein who gave the breakdown of the entries said the AMAA regional offices in Lagos, Accra, Johannesburg and Nairobi received 328 total entries as follows: 88 short films, 57 documentaries, 43 entries from Africans in Diaspora, 6 animations and 134 features films from Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Namibia, Guinnea, Senegal, South Africa, Kenya, Cameroun, Uganda, Algeria, Egypt and Zimbabwe among others.

On the increase in entries this year over previous years, Hussein noted that filmmakers and allied practitioners in Africa have accepted the award as their own coupled with the fact that winning at AMAA has become a career-defining moment.

‘The growing awareness of AMAA, the integrity of its screening process, the global recognition that comes with winning and the opportunities afforded winners has given rise to more participation at The AMAAs. Winning at The AMAAs enhances the reputation and visibility of any filmmaker in Africa and helps their marketing and financial drive among other benefits’ he said.

Also speaking on the nomination event, Naomi Lucas, Head of AMAA’s Business Development Unit said that the choice of Gambia this year is to continue AMAA’s tradition of ensuring Pan-African participation in its events. It also offers an exotic experience for celebrities and motion picture practitioners to explore the beauty and splendour of the West African country that has become one of the most important tourist destinations in the world. ‘One of our objectives at AMAA is to unite Africa through film; we facilitate this process by ensuring exposure to and collaboration with film makers from within the continent.